Special Coverage

Miss Guts big fave

OMAHA, Neb. - Horsemen's Park rolls into the second day of its three-day festival of racing on Saturday with two stakes races on the four-race card, which begins at 2 p.m. The $30,000 Queen's Handicap for fillies at six furlongs and the $27,500 Nebraskaland Handicap for older Nebraska-breds at a mile share top billing on the card.

Horsemen's Park is owned by the Nebraska HBPA, which operates the three-day meeting so that the facility can offer year-around simulcasting. State law requires a track to run at least one day of live racing annually - consisting of at least two races - to qualify for year-round simulcasting.

Miss Guts will be heavily favored facing four rivals in the $30,000 Queen's Handicap. Miss Guts won her maiden at Santa Anita in March and quickly put together a three-race win streak out West. The streak was snapped by $80,000 allowance-optional claiming company at Santa Anita. After the loss, Miss Guts was shipped to Prairie Meadows, where she finished fifth in the Goldfinich Stakes. She followed that start with a win and then was a narrowly beaten second against optional company at Iowa.

Trained by Ray Tracy, Miss Guts will likely find herself in a familiar position, alone on the lead. Perry Compton, who is riding regularly at Prairie Meadows, is riding in Omaha for the weekend and has the mount at 123 pounds.

Nancybdancing and Buck's Best also are shipping in for the Queen's. Nancybdancing, trained by Terrell Gore, comes off a second in an overnight handicap at Fairmount Park in Illinois, but had been racing primarily in Chicago this year. Buck's Best invades from Prairie Meadows but has yet to win in six starts this year.

Tate's Way and High Dice renew their rivalry in the Nebraskaland Handicap. High Dice was a three-quarter-length winner over Tate's Way in the Who Doctor Who Handicap at Lincoln July 7. Tate's Way, however, has twice beaten High Dice this season.